Parent Education:

"Four Square Parent Education"

Please contact the office for times, locations, and fees.

Stephen Terrell leads the group through a Book Study based on "Parenting from the Inside Out" by Daniel Siegel. "Through my experiences of working with adopted parents and their children as well as parents considering adoption for the first time, Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive, is the one book I always recommend. This is a MUST READ for every parent or person considering parenthood. "

The group meets on a weekly basis for two hours to discuss the chapter of the week, share parenting challenges, discover how our own experiences growing up affect how we parent, removing the ghosts from the family room, finding ways to regulate you and yours child's activation, do exercises as a group, share in supporting other members in the group.

Daniel Siegel does an excellent job of teaching parents about relationships and how the brain development affects the parent-child relationship. He is clear and concise in what is your history and your child's behaviors. For adoptive Parents, you learn how quickly your adopted child will find your buttons and ways to close those buttons.

This group focuses on ways to build your parent-child relationship. You will learn the importance of developing a life-long relationship vs getting your child to do something at this moment. By becoming a life time parent, you learn ways to pull them closer and ways to hold a safe environment for your child to grow and discover that relationships can be safe and nurturing.

Therapy Groups:

Four Square Parent's Therapy Group: After completing the Book Study for Parenting from the Inside Out, Parents are encouraged to join this therapeutic group. Stephen Terrell draws on his training and experience with Somatic Experiencing to work directly with group members on releasing their own trauma so that their coping skills can and will expand, allowing you to become a better parent.

Four Square Children's Therapy Group: This group is divided by the age groups. The groups combines the dynamics of Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy to allow the adopted child or sibling to explore their own feelings and relationships in their lives.

Community Based Support Groups:

COAC (Austin Counsel on Adoptable Children ): Open to those who have adopted and those considering adoption. There is free child care provided. The meeting begins at 6:30pm on the third Monday of the month. The meetings are currently at CPS Travis County's north Austin location. Stephen Terrell facilitates the group. There is a $10.00 annual membership fee if you choose to join COAC that helps to offset the costs. The group provides both support and education.

Adoption Knowledge Whether you're seeking to form a family through adoption, seeking information about family members you have been disconnected from or just seeking knowledge about the lifelong issues in adoption, AKA provides helpful information through educational resources, on-going programs, and emotional support. They have monthly support groups.

Workshops:

We offer a variety of workshops with a focus on foster and adopted children. Please contact us for further information.